It plow out humanity are n’t the only ace who savor a nervy spa day – whales have been blob make a grand sure-enough time frolicking about in seaweed , appearing to employ the slimy sea algae as a body cleanser as well as for period of play .

Although it ’s been well - documented that manycetaceans(whales , dolphins , and porpoises ) are playful creatures who often use objects to play with , this especial behavior has n’t been observed quite so much in baleen whales .

However , a new work has revealed that filter - fertilise heavyweight , such as crookback and gray whale , are just as sport - loving as their fellow cetacean , pluck around and “ playing ” with kelp and seaweed floating at the pee ’s surface . Thisbehavioris known as “ kelping ” and appear to be standardised in unlike individuals across the world .

“ The use of object by cetaceans like baleen whales is well known , and their ability to interact with their environment in complex behaviours has been previously reported on , ” said Jan - Olaf Meynecke , an generator of the study , in astatement .

“ But baleen hulk , including hunchback giant , are less often observed to perform object use , and this demeanour might be more coarse than previously recall . ”

Meynecke and fellow researcher Hilla Kela analyzed three aerially observed instances of kelping on the east slide of Australia , on top of over 100 individual cases document via photographs and videos on social medium . This included 163 baleen giant , withhumpbackstaking the top stead , having interacted with seaweed in 95 separate events .

Whilst kelping adjoin all of thecriteriathat behavioural scientific discipline view to be “ play ” , it might have a purpose beyond fun too .

“ There are two plausible theories : play and/or ego - medication with seaweed , ” explained Meynecke . “ This behavior may be playful but could also dish up extra benefits in the context of learning and socialisation , as well as ectoparasite remotion and hide treatment by using browned alga ’s antibacterial properties . ”

In this way , it ’s not completely dissimilar to the seaweed facemasks found on drugstore shelves , which often arrogate to have antibacterial and anti - instigative element tocleanseand soothe ourskin . Although whale might not apply it to treat nasty chin spots , their skin does have a lot of bacteria .

Kelping is n’t the only " resort hotel handling " whales have been spot using either . sooner this year , whale were keep for the first timerolling aroundin the Sand of Australia ’s Gold Coast Bay , using the rough sea floor to exfoliate their cutis .

We never thought we ’d see the sidereal day when whale have a better skin care everyday than we do .

The study is print in theJournal of Marine Science and Engineering .